419 scam: "POWERBALL XMAS PROMOTIONS" <info@powerball.org> POWERBAL XMAS PROMOTIONS

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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

The so-called "419" scam is a type of fraud dominated by criminals from Nigeria and other countries in Africa. Victims of the scam are promised a large amount of money, such as a lottery prize, inheritance, money sitting in some bank account, etc.

Victims never receive this non-existent fortune but are tricked into sending their money to the criminals, who remain anonymous. They hide their real identity and location by using fake names and fake postal addresses as well as communicating via anonymous free email accounts and mobile phones.

Keep in mind that scammers DO NOT use their real names when defrauding people.
The criminals either abuse names of real people or companies or invent names or addresses.
Any real people or companies mentioned below have NO CONNECTION to the scammers!

Read more about such scams here or in our 419 FAQ. Use the Scam-O-Matic to verify suspect emails.

Click here to report a problem with this page.

Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

This email uses a separate reply address that is different from the sender address. Spammers use this to get replies even when the original spam sending accounts have been shut down. Also, sometimes the sender addresses are legitimate looking but fake and only the reply address is actually an email account controlled by the scammers.
The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- ",000,000" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
- "00,000.00" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
This email message is a fake lottery scam. Consider the following facts about real lotteries:
1. They don't notify winners by email.
2. You can't win without first buying a lottery ticket.
3. They don't randomly select email addresses to award prizes to.
4. They don't use free email accounts (Yahoo, Hotmail, etc) to communicate with you.
5. They don't tell you to call a mobile phone number.
6. They don't tell you to keep your winnings secret.
7. They will never ask a winner to pay any fees to receive a prize!

Fraud email example:

From: "POWERBALL XMAS PROMOTIONS" <info@powerball.org>
Reply-To: cloetecane@live.com
Date: Tue, 15 Dec 2009 10:35:18 -0400 (AMT)
Subject: POWERBAL XMAS PROMOTIONS

--
Ref No:PBL/CN/6654/CP
Dear Consolation Prize Winner,

CONSOLATION PRIZE WINNER NOTICE

Europe/ America private international e-games organizers and
co-sponsors,POWERBALL LOTTO Group , officially bring to your notice of the
final draw result of the POWERBALL LOTTO -wheel E-game which was
conducted at our international corporate office complex in The UNITED
KINGDOM.

Most recently this foundation set up the NEW LOTTERY SCHEME to give out
prizes based on COMPUTER BALLOT SYSTEM. By doing this the foundation seek
to encourage the use of Internet for academic and business pursuits. Its
major aim is to promote music, theater, art,literature,projects in the
social and political arena with a focus on health, as well as science,
research, and higher education.

We wish to congratulate and inform you on the selection of your email
coupon number which was selected among the 6 lucky consolation prize
winners Your email ID identified with coupon No. PBL2348974321 and was
selected by our E-games Random Selection System (ERSS) with entries from
the 50,000 different email addresses enrolled for the E-game. Your email
ID was included among the 50,000 different email addresses submitted by
our partner international email provider companies. You have won a
consultation cash prize of GBP 1,000,000.00 (One Million Great British
Pounds Sterlings) only.

The POWERBALL LOTTO Group. BV, have approved a payout of your consolation
cash prize which will be remunerated directly to you by the official
Payment Agency Board. Our DUE PROCESS UNIT (DPU) will render to you
complete assistance and provide additional information and processes for
the claims of your consolation prize.

For due processing of your winning claim, please contact the DPU
Information Officer Mr Jeffery Brooks who has been assigned to assist
you.You are to contact him with the following details for the release of
your winnings. Please contact me thru my mail address

Claims Requirements:
1.Name in full:
2.Home Address:
3.Age:
4.Occupation:
5.Phone Number:
6.Present Country:
7.Sex:
8.Your E-mail id:

Contact E-mail: cloetecane@live.com

Once again congratulations from all our staffs on your consoltation prize
winning, we hope you will part take our forth coming POWERBALL LOTTO
-wheel Email-games.

Regards
Mr.Cloete Cane.
(Group Coordinator)

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam